SCENE II.--_A Chapel_.

_Enter_ ALONZO, THEODOSIA, JACINTHA, BEATRIX, _other Ladies, and Cavaliers at their devotions_.

_Alon._ By that time you have told your beads, I'll be again with you. [_Exit._

_Jac._ Do you think the Englishmen will come after us?

_Beat._ Do you think they can stay from you?

_Jac._ For my part, I feel a certain qualm upon my heart, which makes me believe I am breeding love to one of them.

_Theo._ How, love, Jacintha! in so short a time? Cupid's arrow was well feathered, to reach you so suddenly.

_Jac._ Faith, as good at first as at last, sister; 'tis a thing that must be done, and therefore 'tis best dispatching it out o'the way.

_Theo._ But you do not mean to tell him so, whom you love?

_Jac._ Why should I keep myself and servant in pain, for that which may be cured at a day's warning?

_Beat._ My lady tells you true, madam; long tedious courtship may be proper for cold countries, where their frosts are long a thawing; but, heaven be praised, we live in a warm climate.

_Theo._ The truth is, in other countries they have opportunities of courtship, which we have not; they are not mewed up with double locks and grated windows; but may receive addresses at their leisure.

_Jac._ But our love here is like our grass; if it be not mowed quickly, 'tis burnt up.

_Enter_ BELLAMY, WILDBLOOD, and MASKALL: _They look about them_.

_Theo._ Yonder are your gallants; send you comfort of them: I am for my devotions.

_Jac._ Now for my heart can I think of no other prayer, but only that they may not mistake us. Why, sister, sister, will you pray? What injury have I ever done you, that you should pray in my company? If your servant Don Melchor were here, we should have you mind heaven as little as the best of us.

_Beat._ They are at a loss, madam; shall I put up my veil, that they may take aim?

_Jac._ No, let them take their fortune in the dark: We shall see what archers these English are.

_Bel._ Which are they, think'st thou?

_Wild._ There's no knowing them, they are all children of darkness.

_Bel._ I'll be sworn they have one sign of godliness among them, there's no distinction of persons here.

_Wild._ Pox o'this blind-man's-buff; they may be ashamed to provoke a man thus, by their keeping themselves so close.

_Bel._ You are for the youngest, you say; 'tis the eldest has smitten me. And here I fix; if I am right, happy man be his dole. [_By_ THEODOSIA.

_Wild._ I'll take my fortune here. [_By_ JACINTHA. Madam, I hope a stranger may take the liberty, without offence, to offer his devotions by you?

_Jac._ That, sir, would interrupt mine, without being any advantage to your own.

_Wild._ My advantage, madam, is very evident; for the kind saint, to whom you pray, may, by the neighbourhood, mistake my devotions for yours.

_Jac._ O, sir! our saints can better distinguish between the prayers of a Catholic and a Lutheran.

_Wild._ I beseech you, madam, trouble not yourself for my religion; for, though I am a heretic to the men of your country, to your ladies I am a very zealous Catholic; and for fornication and adultery, I assure you I hold with both churches.

_Theo. to Bel._ Sir, if you will not be more devout, be at least more civil; you see you are observed.

_Bel._ And pray, madam, what do you think the lookers on imagine I am employed about?

_Theo._ I will not trouble myself to guess.

_Bel._ Why, by all circumstances, they must conclude that I am making love to you; and, methinks, it were scarce civil to give the opinion of so much good company the lie.

_Theo._ If this were true, you would have little reason to thank them for their divination.

_Bel._ Meaning, I should not be loved again?

_Theo._ You have interpreted my riddle, and may take it for your pains.

_Enter_ ALONZO, _and goes apart to his devotion_.

_Beat._ Madam, your father is returned.

_Bel._ She has nettled me; would, I could be revenged on her!

_Wild._ Do you see their father? Let us make as though we talked to one another, that we may not be suspected.

_Beat._ You have lost your Englishmen.

_Jac._ No, no, 'tis but design, I warrant you: You shall see these island cocks wheel about immediately. [_The English gather up close to them._

_Beat._ Perhaps they thought they were observed.

_Wild. to Bel._ Talk not of our country ladies: I declare myself for the Spanish beauties.

_Bel._ Pr'ythee, tell me what thou canst find to doat on in these Castilians?

_Wild._ Their wit and beauty.

_Theo._ Now for our champion, St Jago, for Spain.

_Bel._ Faith, I can speak no such miracles of either; for their beauty, 'tis much as the Moors left it; not altogether so deep a black as the true Ethiopian; a kind of beauty that is too civil to the lookers-on to do them any mischief.

_Jac._ This was your frowardness, that provoked him, sister.

_Theo._ But they shall not carry it off so.

_Bel._ As for their wit, you may judge it by their breeding, which is commonly in a nunnery; where the want of mankind, while they are there, makes them value the blessing ever after.

_Theo._ Pr'ythee, dear Jacintha, tell me, what kind of creatures were those we saw yesterday at the audience? Those, I mean, that looked so like Frenchmen in their habits, but only became their apishness so much worse.

_Jac._ Englishmen, I think, they called them.

_Theo._ Cry you mercy; they were of your wild English, indeed; that is, a kind of northern beast, that is taught its feats of activity in Monsieurland; and, for doing them too lubberly, is laughed at all the world over.

_Bel._ Wildblood, I perceive the women understand little of discourse; their gallants do not use them to it: They get upon their jennets, and prance before their ladies' windows; there the palfrey curvets and bounds, and, in short, entertains them for his master.

_Wild._ And this horseplay they call making love.

_Beat._ Your father, madam----

_Alon._ Daughters! what cavaliers are those which were talking by you?

_Jac._ Englishmen, I believe, sir, at their devotions.--Cavalier, would you would try to pray a little better than you have rallied. [_Aside to_ WILD.

_Wild._ Hang me if I put all my devotions out of order for you: I remember I prayed but on Tuesday last, and my time comes not till Tuesday next.

_Mask._ You had as good pray, sir: she will not stir till you have: Say any thing.

_Wild._ Fair lady, though I am not worthy of the least of your favours, yet give me the happiness this evening to see you at your father's door, that I may acquaint you with part of my sufferings. [_Aside to_ JAC.

_Alon._ Come, daughters, have you done?

_Jac._ Immediately, sir.--Cavalier, I will not fail to be there at the time appointed, if it be but to teach you more wit, henceforward, than to engage your heart so lightly. [_Aside to_ WILD.

_Wild._ I have engaged my heart with so much zeal and true devotion to your divine beauty, that----

_Alon._ What means this cavalier?

_Jac._ Some zealous ejaculation.

_Alan._ May the saint hear him!

_Jac._ I'll answer for her. [_Exeunt Father and Daughters._

_Wild._ Now, Bellamy, what success?

_Bel._ I prayed to a more marble saint than that was in the shrine; but you, it seems, have been successful.

_Wild._ And so shalt thou; let me alone for both.

_Bel._ If you'll undertake it, I'll make bold to indulge my love, and within these two hours be a desperate inamorato. I feel I am coming apace to it.

_Wild._ Faith, I can love at any time with a wish, at my rate: I give my heart according to the old law of pawns, to be returned me before sunset.

_Bel._ I love only that I may keep my heart warm; for a man's a pool, if love stir him not; and to bring it to that pass, I first resolve whom to love, and presently after imagine I am in love: for a strong imagination is required in a lover as much as in a witch.

_Wild._ And is this all your receipt?

_Bel._ These are my principal ingredients; as for piques, jealousies, duels, daggers, and halters, I let them alone to the vulgar.

_Wild._ Pr'ythee, let's round the street a little; till Maskall watches for their woman.

_Bel._ That's well thought on: He shall about it immediately. We will attempt the mistress by the maid: Women by women still are best betrayed. [_Exeunt._